On 2012-11-27 07:33, Hale Tiki wrote:Ugh. Why didn't I see this thread before I overpaid for Falernum last week? DAMMMMIIIITTTTT!

There's nothing quite like homemade falernum. It's always a labor of love and always worth the effort. I haven't found any store-bought falernum that even comes close to home-made falernum. I get together with another friend and we each make a batch at the same time. I use mine for tiki cocktails, and he uses his for sipping on-the-rocks or neat when friends come over. He's not a tikiphile yet, but he dabbles on the periphery...

On 2012-11-27 07:43, AceExplorer wrote:I get together with another friend and we each make a batch at the same time. I use mine for tiki cocktails, and he uses his for sipping on-the-rocks or neat when friends come over.

Your friend has the right idea. It really is quite good straight up. I also recommend adding a tablespoon to a standard Caipirinha recipe. It mixes very well with Cachaça.

I will try Corn 'n' Oil, I looked it up and it's a very simple rum cocktail. With the inherent complexity of falernum, and the richness of the black rum, you don't need a lot of other ingredients. Thanks for the recommendation!

I refrigerate all my syrups, even if they contain alcohol. But I also take the Bum's advice and add 1/2 to 1 oz of neutral grain alcohol to each bottle in an effort to be safe and help preserve the mixture longer than it would otherwise last in my fridge. I usually end up with two bottles of falernum -- the second bottle gets a dose of NGS and then is stored in my freezer until I finish the first bottle.

Homemade rum-based falernum (and pimento dram) are more a liqueur than a syrup. If you adjust the addition of the sugar syrup so that you're bottling above 20% ABV, unrefrigerated shelf life isn't a problem. I don't refrigerate my homemade falernum, pimento dram or limoncello and I've never had anything go bad. Of course that's with the assumption that you're not adding fresh lime juice to the falernum. If so, the shelf life isn't that great even in the fridge. I'm not an expert so I won't argue against anyone saying adding 1/2 - 1 oz of booze to an entire bottle of syrup increases shelf life but I don't see how it could increase the alcohol content enough to really matter.

Toast almonds on a cookie sheet in oven at 350 F for 20-30 min. Place almonds in a large glass jar, cover with a quart of water. Let sit for 30 min, shaking occasionally. Strain almonds, discard water and wash out jar. Roughly chop almonds and place back into jar. Cover with 1 cup of water and let sit for four hours. Strain out almond water into a measuring cup and add more water if necessary to make 1 cup. Discard almonds and wash out jar again. Place spices in a large saucepan, over medium heat, tossing frequently for 1-5 minutes. Add spices to jar with rum, ginger, lime zest and rum. Let it sit in a cool place for 24 hours. Make the syrup by putting sugar and almond water in a large pot over a medium-low heat for about five minutes, until sugar has dissolved. Using cheese cloth, strain the mixture from the jar into the syrup. Press on the solids to extract as much as you can. When cooled to room temperature, strain using coffee filter into a bottle. Voila.

I do refridgerate mine, because I have the space in the fridge behind the bar. But, this is a mixture that should come out roughly 60-70 proof 30-35% by volume AND it contains sugar, which is also a preservative. It should be fine on the shelf.

I usually put my almonds (for orgeat and falernum) under the broiler, which is much faster. It's also MUCH easier to burn them, and burnt almonds taste horrible and will ruin the flavor of everything that they come into contact with.

On 2012-12-02 06:09, poutineki wrote:...I've never had anything go bad. Of course that's with the assumption that you're not adding fresh lime juice to the falernum. If so, the shelf life isn't that great even in the fridge. I'm not an expert so I won't argue against anyone saying adding 1/2 - 1 oz of booze to an entire bottle of syrup increases shelf life but I don't see how it could increase the alcohol content enough to really matter.

poutineki -- Adding the lime juice does seem to be problematic. Adding the neutral alcohol may help extend shelf life but certainly does not prevent spoilage with the exception of what I store in my freezer. I have not ever omitted the lime juice and I may try that in my next batch. Your feedback is helpful, many thanks.

I have often read here that "sugar is a preservative" but I have seen refrigerated 1:1 simple syrup develop clear "globs" if stored too long. So I am careful to monitor my stuff and write the born-on dates on my bottles.

On 2012-12-02 06:09, poutineki wrote:...I've never had anything go bad. Of course that's with the assumption that you're not adding fresh lime juice to the falernum. If so, the shelf life isn't that great even in the fridge. I'm not an expert so I won't argue against anyone saying adding 1/2 - 1 oz of booze to an entire bottle of syrup increases shelf life but I don't see how it could increase the alcohol content enough to really matter.

poutineki -- Adding the lime juice does seem to be problematic. Adding the neutral alcohol may help extend shelf life but certainly does not prevent spoilage with the exception of what I store in my freezer. I have not ever omitted the lime juice and I may try that in my next batch. Your feedback is helpful, many thanks.

I have often read here that "sugar is a preservative" but I have seen refrigerated 1:1 simple syrup develop clear "globs" if stored too long. So I am careful to monitor my stuff and write the born-on dates on my bottles.

The clear globs in your syrup are likely just the sugar precipitating out of the solution, not spoilage. My concern is mold growth on the surface or in the bottle elsewhere. When I have had stuff go bad, that is what happens.

You can help prevent your syrup from precipitating by adding a little citrus when you are making it to speed the process. You want to make sure the sugar fully seperates and becomes liquid. A couple of drops of lime juice is enough.